Casket



ay 3l, 193. H. s. scHoLL GASKET Filed April 24, 195e 4\ I j i www ji?" MM@ @2% Patented May 3i, 1938 hasta PATENT QFFECE GASKET Harry S. Scholl, Chicago, Ill., assgnor to F. H.

Hill Company, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 24, 1936, Serial No. 76,176

11 Claims.

My invention belongs to the general class of burial caskets and relates more particularly to a casket constructed of metal, wood, or other suitable material provided with a lining which may be draped over the top front edge of an occupied casket and overlie a portion of the front wall thereof.

Heretofore caskets have been constructed with an entire iront wall which may be drop-pcd to afford a couch eifect, the same being known in the trade as a full couch. Likewise, caskets have been constructed in which the front wall has been formed in a plurality of sections with an upper portion or section hinged at its lower edge to the adjacent lower section, which type of casket, is generally designated in the trade as a quarter couch or like designation. However, with the full or quarter couch constructions the body of the casket itself is materially and often seriously weakened and loses the strength and rigidity of an immovable or one section wall. Also the lining, as far example in the quarter drop couch, when the top drop section is down the lining tends to sag throughout the length of the drop since there is a gap at the top edge of the wall and there is nothing to support the lining and instead of there being a straight line across the front of the casket, the lining dips from each end toward. the center. This detracts from the appearance. The quarter drop construction also requires that the handles be placed rather low and even be specially designed, since they must not interfere with the dropping of the section, and in general the appearance of the casket is not satisfactory and pleasing.

With my improved construction the couch effect is attractively secured without in any way weakening the casket or requiring the making of the side wall in sections. My invenion has particularly as an object the construction of a casket of the kind described which will secure a couch effect without in any way weakening the casket and in which the overdraped lining will extend in substantially a straight line from end to end. Obviously, the manufacturing cost of constructing thel casket is reduced by not cutting away the side wall or making it in sections or movable.

My invention has as a further object the production of a lining-carrying member mounted on J:he front wall to which the edge of the lining may be secured and which, when the casket is open, will carry and support the lining as it is draped in front of the open casket. The device is so constructed that the lining may be very conveniently lifted in or out of the casket and which device will in no way interfere with the closing of the casket nor require any increase in size thereof.

Among its further objects is the production of a casket of the kind described which is simple, strong, rigid and attractive in appearance and which may be manufactured at less cost than the' ordinary full or quarter drop couch, but which will have the advantages in appearance oi the said quarter or full dropv couch.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a casket with the cover in open position and the lining draped over the front to give a couch effect;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same with the front wall portion shown in section; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the iront wall showing the lining draped back to the inside of the casket.

Referring to the drawing, in which only one embodiment of my invention is shown, there is shown a casket, the body of which is generally designated by the reference character i, which is provided with a top or cover 2 suitably hinged as at 3 along the back side wall. The particular casket shown is constructed of metal, it being understood, however, that the particular material employed and the general design or style is immaterial as my improvement may be embodied in all types of caskets. Caskets of this type are usually provided with a suitable mattress, lining, padding, pillows, etc. The particular casket illustrated is made up with the usual bottom, front and back walls and end walls, the front wall being of full width, rigid from end to end and permanently secured tothe end walls rather than a sectional drop or quarter drop wall as previously set forth. In the particular casket illustrated represents the front wall which is inwardly flanged over at the top as indicated at 5 to provide a top edge or face, the extreme inner edge portion being bent downwardly as indicated at 5'. Obviously, a wall so formed in one piece and substantially channel shaped and secured to the end walls is extremely rigid and will not readily flex or bend. This one part side wall is not weakened in any way, as is the case in the full or quarter drop couch construction, and the entire body of the casket is, therefore, extremely rigid.

Arranged within the casket is a lining 'I and, if desired, suitable light packing material 8 which will maintain the lining fluffed out and substantially support it. The lining at the ends is indicated by the numeral 1', the entire lining being of a size that it may be draped over the ends and front wall of the casket as indicated in Fig. 2.

Arranged along the front wall of the casket for a desired portion of its length, preferably substantially from end to end, is a lining carrying member or plate I I which is movably, as shown, pivotally or hingedly, secured at the outer edge portion as indicated at I2, to the top flange 5 of the wall of the casket. As shown, the same is pivotally secured to a plurality of hinge member parts I3 which may project through the wall 4 adjacent or below the flange 5 at spaced intervals so the top face of the wall is unobstructed, there being as many hinge member parts I3 as desired. The members I3 are shown secured to the flange 5 by rivets I4. While the member II may be otherwise secured by a suitable connection to the front wall, the construction shown is desirable inasmuch as it permits the member or plate II to lie flat and flush on the flange 5, so that when the same is folded inwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, the free edge of the casket cover may be folded down upon the same. The member I I is preferably offset intermediate its edges as indicated at I5 and extended laterally as shown at I6, the offset portion I5 being arranged to lie substantially close to the ange 5', as shown in Fig. 3 when in closed position. Arranged on the portion I5 adjacent the offset I5 is a tacking or securing strip I'I preferably of wood or equivalent material to which the edge portion 9 of the lining'I may be suitably secured, either by tacking, gluing or the like. When the casket is closedthe member I I and lining is positioned inwardly substantially as shown in Fig. 3. When the casket is opened the cover is raised and the member II raised, swung outwardly and dropped substantially to the position shown in Fig. 3, carrying with it the lining 1. The casket when then viewed from the front appears substantially as shown in Fig. 1 giving a quarter couch effect. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, an inner lining III may be provided having the top edge connected to the block or strip I'I, the lower edge being dropped in the casket. 'This inner lining forms a reenforcement for the lining of the casket and keeps the lling from being pinched at the time the lining is folded back into the casket. As will be obvious by referring to Fig. 2, if this inner lining is made of material of sufficient body it does have a tendency to support the lining and maintain it luffed out when the casket is opened and the plate II turned outwardly.

In this couch eifect the lining extends along above the top edge of the front wall in a substantially straight line and does not sag between the ends of the casket as it does in the case of a quarter drop couch. In a quarter drop couch the front wall is severed or cut substantially at the point indicated as 6 in Fig. 3 and when the lining, which is ordinarily in that oase secured adjacent to the top of the front wall at the inner side, for example directly to a ange corresponding to 5, the intermediate portion of the lining between the two ends of the casket sags or drops as indicated by the dotted line S shown in Fig. 1.

The linings 'I' at the ends of the casket are merely lifted out and draped over the ends. It will be obvious that while the lining carrier I I is shown in the present instance as applied to a metal casket, it may likewise be applied to a wooden casket with the same effect. In either instance a quarter drop couch effect, and to a certain extent a full couch effect, is obtained without in any way weakening the casket and aifecting its strength and rigidity. Of course, it is much more inexpensive than the cutting down of a side wall and applying hinges to the section and this construction has a further advantage that it does not require special handles or hardware as in the case of a quarter drop couch. In opening or closing the casket it is also obvious that the lining may be lifted in or out along the front edge as a unit rather than to lift it out by taking hold of an intermediate portion pufng it back to secure (unsuccessfully) as. much of a straight line effect at the top as possible. In this case the top edge of the front wall provides a support for the lining and the straight edge effect is retained.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a casket of the kind described, a plate member pivotally connected to the front sidewall at the top edge thereof adjacent the outer face of the wall of the casket and arranged to normally rest on the top edge of the casket sidewall and extend inwardly therefrom, and a lining attached to, and carried by the plate member as the latter is rotated outwardly.

2. In a burial casket of the kind described, a plate member hingedly connected to the front sidewall of the casket at the top thereof, said plate arranged to normally rest on and parallel to the face of the top edge of the casket sidewall and extend inwardly therefrom when the casket is closed, and a lining attached to the portion of the plate member extending inside the casket, the inner edge of the plate member and lining being rotatable outwardly over the casket wall to a position in front of the casket.

3. In a casket of the kind described, a plate member pivotally connected to the front side-Wall of the casket adjacent the outer edge of top edge face thereof and normally supported on the top edge of the casket side-wall and extending inwardly therefrom when the casket is closed, the portion extending inside the casket being offset below that of the portion resting on the top edge face of the side-wall, and a lining attached to the off-set portion, said lining being carried outwardly by the plate member as the latter is swung on its pivot to the outside of the casket.

4. In a casket of the kind described, a plate member pivotally connected to the front side-wall of the casket and movable inwardly or outwardly of the casket, said plate normally seated on and parallel to the top edge face of the casket sidewall and extending inwardly therefrom when moved inwardly, the plate portion extending inside the casket having an off-set below that of the portion seated on the top edge of the sidewall, a securing strip mounted on the upper face of the olf-set portion, and a lining permanently attached to the strip, said plate and lining carried thereby rotatable to a position in front of the casket below the top edge thereof.

5. A burial casket consisting of bottom, side and end walls, a cover secured to the rear side wall and a movable lining carrying member extending throughout a portion of the length of the casket and pivotally secured at an edge to the front side wall adjacent the outer face of the wall on the top edge face thereof, said member outwardly rotatable to drop and depend from the top of the wall at the outside of the casket, and a casket lining having one of its edges attached to said member at a point spaced back from the pivoted edge thereof.

6. In a burial casket of the kind described and in combination, a front casket wall provided with a face at the top edge thereof, a plate mounted on and overlying said top edge face and hinged to the outer edge of the same, said plate extending inwardly of the casket with an oiset formed intermediate the ends and adjacent the inner edge of said top face of the casket wall, a securing strip arranged on said top face of said plate, and a lining extending from within the casket over the inner edge of said plate and secured proximate its free edge to said securing strip, said plate movable to swing upwardly and outwardly and carry the said lining over and downwardly at the outer side of the casket, whereby the upper portion of the front wall of the casket is concealed by said lining.

'7. A casket having an inwardly and -downwardly turned iiange at its front wall top edge, a plate pivotally secured proximate the outer edge of said ange and extending inwardly beyond the inner edge of the flange and thence offset downwardly and thence laterally inwardly, a securing block arranged on the top face of the plate adjacent said oifset, and a casket lining secured to said block, the said plate movable about its pivotal connection to swing outwardly and downwardly in front of the outer face of the front wall of the casket.

8. A burial casket provided with a suitable lining, a member pivotally secured to the upper edge of the casket front wall adjacent its front face and movable both inwardly of the casket and outwardly and downwardly therefrom to overlie the outside front wall thereof, one edge of said lining attached to said member at the face uppermost when the said member is positioned inwardly the casket and intermediate the side edges thereof.

9. The combination in a burial casket having a front wall provided with an inwardly extending flange, of a member hinged at its outer side edge to the top edge of the said front wall adjacent the outer edge of said ange, the inner edge of said member movable to swing upwardly, outwardly and thence downwardly from said top edge of the casket, and a casket lining having an edge portion secured to said member at a point spaced back from the edge of the casket a distance slightly greater than the width of said wall flange.

10. A burial casket consisting of a bottom, front and back side walls and end walls, a cover secured to the rear side wall, said front wall permanently united to the bottom and end walls and having an unbroken top edge between the end walls substantially corresponding to the height of the rear and end walls and a movable lining carrying member hingedly secured at an edge to the front side wall adjacent the front face at the top edge thereof and extending substantially throughout the full length of the casket, the inner edge of said member normally projecting over said top edge inwardly of the casket and outwardly, rotatable to drop and depend from and below the top of the wall at the outside thereof, and a casket lining having an edge attached to said member and movable therewith.

11. In a casket of the kind described, a plate member pivotally connected to the front side wall of the casket at the top edge thereof and arranged to normally rest on the top edge of the casket side wall and extend inwardly thereof when the casket is closed, a lining and an inner lining attached to and carried by the plate member as the same is rotated outwardly to a position at the front of the casket or inwardly to extend interiorly of the casket.

HARRY S. SCI-IOLL. 

